


Been wondering if your heart’s still open

by Fanfaire



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: (like a very small amount), Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Anal Sex, Hand Jobs, M/M, casual homophobia, honestly thats it its a coffee shop au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-20
Updated: 2016-12-20
Packaged: 2018-09-10 00:02:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,156
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8918728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fanfaire/pseuds/Fanfaire
Summary: “Anything else?”  The stranger’s lips turned upwards at the corners, a ghost of a smile. “No, thanks. That’s everything.” Dex pulled a cup from the stack to his left and scribbled the order on the side. It wasn’t completely necessary because he was making the drink himself. He did it out of habit anyway.“Name?” He asked, sharpie poised. “Derek.”





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Brioux](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brioux/gifts).



> Ahh I'm so excited to finally post this! This is my contribution to the 2016 'swawesome santa exchange, gifted to the lovely Brioux (I hope you enjoy it! <3)  
> Huge thanks to my wonderful betas who I love and cherish, tumblr users 42wallabyway-sydnee and chatosaantana. Without them this would have been a mess.

i. 

William Poindexter was absolutely underpaid, in terms of what he had to deal with at work. Being a barista was no walk in the park. Between dealing with rude customers, cleaning up after people, memorizing “secret menu” items and taking endless orders, he was always left feeling overwhelmingly unsatisfied at the end of his shift. 

By the second week of october, Dex was ready to call it quits. He had enough on his plate with midterms, assignments and his position on the hockey team, and all in all he really didn’t need the stress of running the coffee shop on campus (because really, his deadbeat manager contributed absolutely nothing, and they were constantly understaffed), during midterm season. It was really just too much. 

Still, he needed the money, and so he found himself working a double shift – starting  
early so a co-worker could stay home sick, and staying until close.  
By the time closing time did roll around, Dex was completely ready to go home. He’d ran through his closing list a few times, cleaning, stocking and making note of what was running low. All he had left was forty five minutes before he could flip the sign on the door to closed, and he was more ready than ever to do so. 

Naturally, that’s when Derek Nurse decided to stumble into Dex’s life. Wind gusted in as the door swung open, the bell above it chiming softly, and then a handsome stranger, windswept and bundled in a scarf, shuffled inside. The few residual customers (it was always the same ones who stayed until close) glanced up at the new arrival, and then went back to their conversations, coffees and computers. Dex however, was completely focused on the newcomer, taking in his appearance.  
Thick brown hair, unruly and tousled, curled out from underneath an olive beanie. A plush grey knit scarf curled around his neck covered the lower half of the man’s face. As he approached the counter, Dex was able to get a better look at his eyes, a soft forest green, framed by perfectly arched brows. Redness tinted the whites of his eyes however, and Dex couldn’t help but notice the puffy set to the bags beneath them. 

It took him a moment to realize that while he had been intently scrutinizing the man’s features, he had spoken. 

“Uh, sorry what was that?” He asked, feeling dumb, and a little embarrassed.  
The customer’s eyes narrowed, and one brow raised impossibly higher. “Soy caramel brulee latte please.” He said, voice deep and smooth. Dex nodded, punching in the order. Truthfully, he really wished the guy had just ordered a coffee, because Dex had finished cleaning the latte machine mere minutes before he’d arrived. He made no sign of complaint though, years in customer service taught him how to internalize his irritation. 

“Anything else?” The stranger’s lips turned upwards at the corners, a ghost of a smile. 

“No, thanks. That’s everything.” Dex pulled a cup from the stack to his left and scribbled the order on the side. It wasn’t completely necessary because he was making the drink himself. He did it out of habit anyway.

“Name?” He asked, sharpie poised. 

“Derek.” 

… 

By the time eleven o’clock rolled around, Dex had almost forgotten about Derek. Well, okay, not forgotten. Realistically it was more like he had forced those green eyes from his mind while he tried to focus on working. A flurry of last minute customers had overwhelmed Dex, and by the time he had gotten through all the orders, he felt particularly harassed. Plus there was a hell of a mess to clean up as a result. Despite it all, he was still optimistic about getting out on time, and he set his mind to cleaning, trying to get his station perfect in as little time as possible. 

He glanced up at the clock as he finished scrubbing the last of the counters down. It was almost quarter after, and Dex smiled, happy to be able to go home. On a first, cursory glance of the space, Dex didn’t notice any customers left to shoo out, but as he was closing down the till, he heard a soft sound, and looked a little closer. He’d missed someone. In a corner booth, Derek was hunched over a notebook, scribbling quickly, and sniffling. Dex wasn’t exactly sure what to make of that. He’d witnessed a few people crying while he worked in the past, and usually he’d just check in on them out of politeness. But he’d never been in the position where he needed to kick one of them out. He felt bad, but he also wanted to go home. 

He stalled for as long as possible, trying to come up with a solution, something to say that didn’t sound insensitive. His shoulders tensed as he heard Derek’s quiet sniffling shift into sobs. Making up his mind, Dex pulled one of his freshly cleaned plates from a cabinet, grabbed a few napkins, and snagged a muffin from the display case. 

Cautiously, he made his way over to Derek’s booth, stopping to flip the sign on the front door to the sorry, we’re closed! side. Sliding into the seat across from him, Dex nudged the plate towards the stranger. “Hey, uh, are you okay?” 

Derek looked up, seeming a little flushed, and a little like he didn’t care. “Yeah, yeah I’m chill,” he muttered. He’d removed his scarf, and it sat on top of his messenger bag next to him. It’s absence allowed Dex to see the rest of his face, his sharp, stubble covered jaw. Derek reached up and wiped at his nose with his sleeve, and Dex pushed the pile of napkins towards him. 

“Here,” Dex said, he gestured to the muffin. “I brought you this. I don’t know what you’re upset about, but lemon poppy seed always seems to make things better.” He wasn’t sure what to say. He felt bad about whatever Derek was upset over, but he kind of really wanted to go home. Still, he couldn’t just kick the guy out, not when he seemed so down already. 

To Dex’s surprise, Derek snorted sharply. “I appreciate it,” he said, grabbing a napkin and swiping at his eyes. “I’m allergic to lemon,” he paused, glancing at Dex’s nametag, “but thanks, Will.” 

“Call me Dex,” He suggested. He wasn’t sure why. To customers, co-workers and faculty, he was Will, or William. It was only to the team, and to close friends that he was referred to by his hockey nickname. Derek smiled a little though, which Dex counted as a win. He grabbed the plate and slid it away from Derek, wishing he’d just grabbed the chocolate chip one. “Sorry,” and then, “Do you mind if I ask what’s wrong?” 

Derek shook his head, “I’m just going through a lot right now.” He looked down at his notebook, still lying open. The pages were dog eared and a little discoloured (tea stained?) around the edges. Green sticky notes poked out from between the pages, smiley faces and stars and arrows doodled on them. Derek’s writing was messy, and Dex was sure he wouldn’t have been able to make it out even if it had been facing him. “I don’t know, my slam poetry partner decided they hated me about twenty minutes before our slam tonight, so we had to drop out. It’s not that big of a thing but we were a really good team you know?” Dex didn’t know. He had never been to a poetry slam, or even really payed attention to poetry in school. He nodded along anyway. “So like, yeah. I know it’s not the biggest thing to be upset over, but I was kind of feeling shitty from general life stuff anyway and it just kind of… god, why am I rambling at you? This is so unchill.” 

Before Dex knew what he was doing, he was reaching out and placing his hand over Derek’s gently. “No, it’s fine, that really sucks.” Derek looked at him softly, for a moment, a hint of a smile on his lips. He looked down at their hands, and it was then that Dex realized how inappropriate this was. This was a customer, he was supposed to be working, closing, what was he doing? Pulling his hand back quickly, he slid out of the booth. Derek watched him, eyes soft. “Yeah, uh, that really does suck but unfortunately the shop is closing so…” 

Derek’s expression changed instantly, closing off, eyes darkening. “Yeah no of course.” He said briskly. “I should get out of here, you’re not my therapist. Thanks for the muffin.” 

In seconds, Derek had packed up, shoving the notebook in his jacket pocket, throwing his scarf around his neck, grabbing his bag and heading towards the door without another word. Dex felt bad, the guy was going through a hard time, but he needed to finish here. He needed to go home and study. He needed to stay professional.

ii. 

The next time Dex sees Derek is Saturday afternoon. He’s been on edge all day, his manager has been in and out of the back office, watching Dex do all the work and scrutinizing his every move but making no action to actually contribute to anything. It’s typical. It’s of course, one of their busiest days of the year so far, midterms just around the corner and students scrambling for caffeine and a trendy study space. The Bean may be a horrible place to work, but Dex can admit that the drinks are good, and the aesthetic of the place definitely appeals to a lot of people. He can’t hate it. 

Derek comes in during one of the few blessed lulls in customers. Dex serves one person before him, and noticing that behind him there was no one else, he sighed in relief. Derek stepped up, a sheepish look on his face. “Hey, I’m really sorry about the other night,” Dex cut his eyes to his manager, who was leaning against the counter a few feet away, sipping on a latte Dex had to make for him. 

“It was nothing. What can I get you?” He asked curtly. Lane – the manager from hell – was very harsh on policy. If he saw Dex actually engaging with their customers, he’d crack down on him even more. He can’t imagine the shitfit the guy would throw if he found out about that night. 

Derek tilted his head, frowning slightly. “No, I shouldn’t have put that on you. You were working, I’m sorry.” Dex’s eyes widened, and he did not fail to notice Lane take an interest in the conversation. He shook his head the tiniest bit, eyes begging Derek silently to shut up and order. 

“It’s fine. Latte?”  
“It’s not, how can I make it up?”  
“Order something?”  
Derek ran a hand through his hair, this time it wasn’t held in the confines of a beanie, but free and curly and… well almost kind of majestic if Dex was being one hundred percent honest. “Flat white I guess,” he said, resigned. “And like, a croissant.” 

Dex nodded, punching in the order. He felt both Derek and Lane’s eyes on him as he went about starting the drink. As he picked up the cup, he made sure to ask Derek’s name again, quickly scribbling it, and a small note, along the side of the cup and then preparing the drink. He slid it across the counter, written side facing Derek as he went to fetch the food. When he turned back to hand him the croissant, he could see how his eyes had lit up, the rest of his face staying neutral. “Have a nice day.” He said. Derek nodded. Lane went back to his latte. The day progressed.  
…  
As soon as Dex had clocked out, he checked his phone. He had two messages.  
[Unknown Number]: Hey, this is Derek.  
[Unknown Number]: I’m guessing that guy was your manager? Didn’t want you conversing with the customers like an actual human being? 

Dex smiled, tapping out a response as he headed towards the library.  
[Dex:] Yes and yes. Lane is a dick, and when he’s not around I kind of do whatever, but he’s got some stupid policies about not being “too close to customers” lol.  
[Dex] I’m basically supposed to be a coffee robot. Sorry I had to be like that. 

While he waited for Derek’s response, he saved the number to his contacts, considering making the name “coffee cutie” before changing his mind and keeping it simple. 

[D.]: It’s no problem. I wanted to apologize again for kind of dumping all that shit on you the other day. You had probably been working all day, you didn’t need that.  
[Dex]: Nothing to apologize for. We all have rough days.  
[D.]: Thanks man, that’s super chill of you.  
[Dex:] any time

iii. 

Derek becomes a Certified Regular™ after that. He drops by several times a week over the next few weeks, always with a cheerful disposition. 

He comes in on a Monday morning looking like he just rolled out of bed and onto the set of a photo shoot for some high profile magazine. He smiles at Dex as he orders a soy vanilla latte, extra foam. Dex draws a smiley face on his coffee cup. 

He comes in on a Wednesday, beanie tugged low over his ears. Dex is a little obsessed about how the colour matches his eyes almost perfectly. It’s just cool, he tells himself. Derek orders a hot chocolate, and chats with Dex as he makes it. “It’s super chilly out there,”  
“I guess. At least I don’t have to be out there for a while.”  
“Lucky you.” 

Derek’s encounters move from chatty to a little flirty over time, and Dex can’t help but be a little pleased. It wasn’t like customers never flirted with him before, it’s just that he had to admit, Derek was attractive. It was a nice little ego boost every morning, and he couldn’t help but enjoy it.  
Unfortunately, the more Derek flirted, the more Dex had to distance himself. He needed to keep his job. As much as he hated it, he knew Lane wouldn’t hesitate to fire him if he found out Dex was flirting back. 

On top of Derek’s flirty demeanor at the shop, occasionally he sent Dex a text. 

[D.]: So how was the rest of your shift?  
[D.]: I saw that customer being a dick to you early. Wanted to help you out but I had to get to class. :(  
[D.]: Okay so I just tried the coffee at Brew Town down the street and… it’s got nothing on yours.  
[D.]: Is Lane gonna be around this afternoon? I want to drop by but I hate that guy. 

Dex doesn’t have a problem with it, except for the fact that every time he gets a text from Derek, he kind of gets butterflies in his gut and… well yeah that’s an issue. 

… 

Derek comes in mid November. It’s a regular Saturday morning, except Lane isn’t around, which is a wonderful thing. The shop is also unusually quiet, so overall things are making out to be kind of a really nice morning. He doesn’t start off with a coffee order, but instead, he placed his hands flat on the counter. 

“Go out with me tonight.” He said. Not even asked, said. 

Dex wanted to. Jesus Christ, Dex wanted to so bad. 

“Go out with me. I have a slam tonight. Come with me.” 

Dex closed his eyes, sighing. Fuck, he wanted to. His hand slid forwards and covered one of Derek’s. He squeezed gently. “I can’t.” 

“I wrote something I think you’d like?” Derek tried. Dex could see the hurt in his eyes. He kind of knew this was coming. Derek’s flirting couldn’t have been leading to nothing. Dex had even hoped it would. But he couldn’t act on it, and that was a damn shame. 

“I appreciate that. I wish I could.” 

iv.  
Dex doesn’t see Derek for a few weeks. It’s painful really, not seeing him. Dex really did like him, there’s no denying it. Even though he barely knew him, seeing his face and listening to his light chatter was really nice. It made him look forward to his shifts. He misses it. 

He came in twenty minutes before close on a Monday night. When Dex heard the bell, he rolled his eyes. As always he was ready to go home, but any thoughts of irritation vanished from his mind when he caught sight of Derek. He looked perfect as ever, back in that beanie, sans the grey scarf. His stubble, prominent, making it obvious that he hadn’t shaved in awhile. Dex was into it. 

“I missed you.” He blurted, instantly covering his mouth with his hand. His heart fluttered helplessly as he saw Derek’s smile. 

“I missed you too.” He ordered a hot chocolate, and Dex didn’t even charge him. Instead, he poured himself a cup as well and made his decision. He couldn’t deny this anymore. He wanted this, he wanted Derek. As he headed over to the booth where Derek had settled – the one they first shared – he flipped the sign on the door to closed, having an intense bout of Deja Vu. 

He slips into the booth, nerves threatening to take over. Yes, he knew this is what he wanted, and yes he knew the consequences, but he couldn’t help but be terrified. “Date me.” He said, hands positioned in tense fists on the table. Derek rested his hands over top of them, and Dex felt himself relax a little. 

“That was supposed to be my line. I’ve been trying to date you for a month and a half.” He said, lips turned up at the corners. “But are you sure? What about your job?” 

As if Dex hadn’t thought about that. As if he hadn’t wished he could simply quit, as if he hadn’t wished he wouldn’t have a people-phobic, homophobic manager to deal with, as if he could pay his tuition without the steady hours this place provided. “I’ll deal.” He promised. 

“Dex, if this is going to hurt you, ruin your job or whatever, we can just be friends.” Derek whispered. “I want this, I want this so badly. But if you can’t, I understand. You need to put yourself first.” Dex shivered, leaning forwards. 

“I don’t care. I’ll find another job. I’ll figure something out. I want this.” He said, his voice trembling. He was sure that he needed to give this a shot. He knew almost nothing about Derek, realistically, accept for the fact that he wrote poetry and had tried almost every drink on the menu. He knew he was a punctual texter and a lover of sweet things. He knew he had great hair and beautiful eyes. He knew that Derek wanted to get to know him as much as he wanted to get to know Derek. He owed it to them to try. 

Derek was looking at him, concern and hope and something else in his eyes. When had the space between them gotten so small? When had their faces come so close together? At what point did Dex realize he could feel Derek’s soft breathing on his lips, his body heat warming Dex’s skin? 

In the end, he didn’t know who had actually closed the gap, but it was closed. Derek’s lips were warm and plush, and Dex felt himself quickly sinking into the kiss. Derek’s hands squeezed Dex’s, and he appreciated the grounding gesture. 

Dex slipped a hand from beneath Derek’s and moved it to cup his cheek, smoothing his fingers over the ever-present stubble of his jaw. He slid it farther back, coming to rest just above the nape of his neck. He was tempted to dig into the soft curls of hair there, and while their kissing continued enthusiastically, he did so. He felt Derek sigh into his mouth at the feeling, and he took that as a signal to wind his fingers a little deeper into his curls. 

Derek broke away, forehead resting against Dex’s. Dex didn’t open his eyes for a moment, afraid when he did he would wake up from a dream that he really wasn’t ready to end. They stayed like that, just resting their foreheads against each other’s and breathing until eventually, Derek kissed Dex on the cheek. “Look at me,” He urged quietly, and how could Dex refuse? 

He allowed his eyes to flutter open, his face so close to Derek’s that Dex’s eyelashes nearly brushed the other’s cheekbones. He let himself take in those forest green eyes, deep and soft and pure. “I want this,” he murmured, and then he shook his head. “I need this. You.” 

Derek pulled back further, taking Dex’s face in his hands. “Thank god.” 

… 

Dex was a human disaster as he reluctantly went back to the task of his closing duties. He still had to clean, stock and make sure everything was prepped for the next day. Going through those motions while Derek sat at the booth, sipping hot chocolate in a takeaway cup and scribbling in his journal, made everything so much more difficult. He wanted to go back to kissing him. He wanted to climb into his lap and run his fingers through his hair. He did not want to be working. 

He kept tripping over his own feet, fumbling and dropping things, making mistakes in his counts and having to start over. It wasn’t that he was being negligent; his mind was just too preoccupied to think about anything else than what had just happened. And what he was certain would happen. Somehow though, he managed to eventually get through it. He was going to get fired, but he had Derek. That’s all he thought about as he worked, and by eleven thirty, he was finished. Derek looked up at him expectantly, noticing that Dex had shut the lights off, and stood. “Ready to get out of here?” He asked, eyes bright even in the dim lighting from the street. 

“Absolutely.”  
v.  
Dex woke up the next morning with Derek’s arms wrapped around his middle, his phone light flashing. Refusing to move away from Derek’s body heat, he reached out onto his nightstand and grasped for his phone. He managed to snag it without disturbing Derek, and he snuggled more firmly back into his chest as Dex opened his texts. There’s one that he’d been expecting, but reading it still stings. 

[Lane]: Saw the security footage from last night.  
[Lane]: I think this goes without saying but don’t bother coming in for your shift tomorrow. 

Dex turned his phone off and twisted around in Derek’s arms, so they were face to face. Closing his eyes, he pressed his face into Derek’s neck and let tears leak from his eyes. Derek pressed kisses into his hair and rubbed his back. “He’s a dick. There are a million other places that will hire you in a second, Will.”  
vi. 

The first time Derek meets the Haus members is on pre-holiday morning. During winter break, campus clears out relatively fast, and by the time Christmas day rolls around, no one is around to celebrate together. As a compromise the team has a tradition of holding a pre-holiday celebration (they agreed it wouldn’t be called Hausmas, out of fairness to those who didn’t celebrate Christmas) the day before break starts. The boys would gather in the living room and give gifts, eat food and generally bro out for at least a few hours before anyone had to head out. In typical Haus fashion, it’s preceded by a kegster.  
+  
Dex had managed to slip away from the kegster as quickly as humanly possible the night before, eager to spend as much time as he could with his boyfriend. It wasn’t just Samwell he was leaving, for the few weeks, but Derek as well. And, well, he wanted to maximize his time. 

By the time he’d stumbled his way over to Derek’s brownstone, partially intoxicated but not completely drunk just yet, it was nearing one in the morning. Still, Derek had opened the door widely when Dex had knocked, and Dex was thankful that there needed to be no words. Derek simply pulled him in for a kiss and guided him in, closing the door and locking it behind them. 

Dex kept his hands on Derek’s shoulders as Derek walked backwards towards the couch, Derek’s hands gripping his waist as they sank down together. Dex, seated firmly in Derek’s lap, couldn’t help but scatter kisses across his jaw and neck, obsessed with the feeling of his perpetual stubble. His hands slid upwards, fingers winding into Derek’s curls. Jesus, he loved those curls.  
Derek connected their mouths again, finally, seeming impatient and desperate. He kissed like fire, Dex thought; he kissed with passion and ferocity and heat. It threatened to melt him. Dex felt Derek thrust his hips upward, looking for friction in return, and let out a soft whimper. His boyfriend felt thick and hard beneath him, and he smiled at the fact that he was the cause of it. Enthusiastically, he shifted his hips, grinding down in response. His smile broadened at Derek’s moan. 

“Need you,” Dex mumbled against Derek’s lips, hips still shifting.  
Derek nodded, deepening the kiss for a moment before pulling back. “Tell me what you need Will.”  
He blushed at the nickname, and in anticipation of the words that always got Derek really going. “Mmm, need you to fuck me,” he whispered, and Derek’s grip on his hips tightened.  
Before he really even registered what was happening, Derek had flipped their position, laying Dex out beneath him on the couch, legs still spread on either side of him. He kept his mouth on Dex’s as his fingers worked at the button and zipper of Dex’s jeans. In what felt like moments, the jeans were off, Dex’s shirt quickly following. Dex reached up, desperate to get Derek’s shirt off as well.  
As soon as they were both rid of their clothes – Derek having finally just slipped out of his track pants, Dex ridding himself of his briefs – Derek reached for the side table next to the couch. This was not the first time they hadn’t bothered to try and make it to Derek’s bedroom. Getting the drawer open, he pulled out a bottle of lube, and Dex shifted impatiently.  
Quickly, Derek slicked up his fingers, reaching downwards and opening Dex up gently. Dex jerked at the press of Derek’s fingers entering him, unable to hold back a moan at the sensation. He wondered if he would ever get used to this, to what Derek could do to him in almost no time. He squirmed as his boyfriend continued to finger him, Derek softly whispering against Dex’s throat, murmuring encouragements and praise. “So good Dexy, so good for me,” 

Eventually, the sensation began to build, something hot stirring in the pit of Dex’s stomach. “Derek I’m not, fuck, I’m not gonna last much longer,” He said, unsure of just how coherent his words were. “Need you, need you, need you.”  
Derek pressed a kiss to Dex’s throat, gently slipping his fingers out of Dex at the same time. Slowly, he moved to line himself up with Dex, kissing his throat and his jaw as he did so. “So good baby,” he murmured, and then asked, “You ready?”  
Dex nodded frantically, practically squirming under him. “Please, yes, Derek,”

Derek pushed forwards, slowly sinking into Dex. “Fuck, fuck.” Dex groaned at the feeling. He definitely would never get used to this. Derek being inside of him brought him to a whole new level. He felt full and stimulated and ever desperate for more. “Derek please,” He begged, “more.”  
He didn’t hesitate. Derek began pulling back and thrusting into Dex. Dex felt himself go boneless as Derek fucked him, unable to do anything but let his boyfriend make him feel good. He could hardly hold back the moans that kept building in his chest on Derek’s every thrust. 

When Derek’s fingers squeezed Dex’s hip, he reflexively jerked forward into the touch, and up against Derek’s own thrust. “So good for me, Dex,” He murmured, tucking his face into the crook to Dex’s shoulder. He pressed firm kisses across the skin there, and gently nipped. Dex felt himself losing control quickly.  
“Derek,” He groaned. “Derek, I’m gonna-”  
Whatever his next words were, they evaporated on his tongue as Derek snaked a hand in between them and gripped him firmly. In seconds, he was coming, unable to think, unable to process. His muscles tightened and then relaxed as the waves of his orgasm hit him, and he felt powerless and amazing, like he was floating. As he felt himself coming down, Dex registered Derek groaning deeply into his neck, and pressing hard into him. Dex dragged a hand up to rub against his back as his boyfriend came, and he tilted his head slightly to press a kiss into Derek’s hair. 

They didn’t even bother dragging themselves to Derek’s bedroom, simply shifting positions and falling asleep tangled on the couch. 

…

The next morning, after a long, hot shower together, they eventually dressed and made themselves presentable. It took them twice as long as it should have. It started with giggled kisses and chirps, as they pulled themselves off the couch, but things quickly escalated. By the time they’d made it to the shower, their kisses had turned hotter and deeper.  
Dex knew that they were already running late, but when Derek’s hands started to wander, he couldn’t bring himself to protest. He simply let himself get lost in the feeling of his boyfriend’s hands on his skin, one trailing down his side, the other brushing lightly down his abs. Dex lifted his arms, gently resting them on Derek’s shoulders, his fingers playing with the hair at the nape of his neck.  
Both of them leaned forward, connecting their lips once again. Dex inhaled sharply through his nose as Derek’s hand moved to grip his dick firmly. He felt Derek smile against his lips at the reaction, and if he hadn’t been so turned on, Dex might have felt a little embarrassed. He was too far gone already to care, however, so instead he just pressed himself closer, having to restrain himself (with difficulty) from jerking up into Derek’s fist.  
As Derek began stroking him, Dex moved his lips towards Derek’s jaw, pressing soft kisses in a trail towards his neck. “Fuck,” he murmured, panting into Derek’s skin as the sensations overtook him. Derek’s hands on him, his body pressed against him, the heat of the steam surrounding them, the water hitting his back; it was so much, and Dex felt himself teetering on the edge. Derek’s hand continued to move, and he whispered endearments and encouragements into Dex’s hair.  
“So good for me Dex, you gonna come for me? Derek asked, voice husky. All Dex could do was nod quickly, whimpering a little as he did. 

“God Derek, don’t stop.” Dex managed to whisper, feeling dizzy with pleasure. He wasn’t sure if Derek could even hear it over the sound of the shower. The hand that had been gently lingering on Dex’s side moved slightly, sliding lower and gripping his hip. The touch was grounding and steadying, and Dex felt himself start to lose it. He gasped as he came, Derek’s hand not stopping until Dex was spent and boneless against him.  
It took only a few minutes of Derek rubbing his back with soap and pressing kisses into his hair for Dex to recover. When he did, he tilted his head up slightly to look at his boyfriend, feeling sated and warm. “Mmm, thank you.” He said. 

Derek only smiled at him. “My pleasure.”  
Dex pressed a quick kiss to his lips before pulling back and bringing his hands down to Derek’s hips. “Coming right up,” he said with a wink, squeezing Derek’s hip and moving to kneel in front of him. 

… 

They made the trip to the Haus walking side by side, their hands firmly tangled together. Dex really couldn’t believe that it was actually happening. He had the boy that he felt so strongly for close to him, and he was about to introduce him to some of the most important people in his life. He knew it was going to be a shock, he hadn’t told anyone but Bitty about Derek, or even that he liked guys. But he knew the team would be accepting regardless. 

By the time they made it to the rundown frat house, things were in full swing. The first thing Dex was met with when he got through the front door, Derek’s hand still in his, was a shout from Holster. “DEX!” He hollered, excitement shining on his face. “About time dude, we were gonna start without you- who’s that?” Dex could see the exact moment Holster’s eyes registered Derek, zeroing right in on their clasped hands. 

He stood there, jaw dropped, as a few other members came tumbling into the hall to investigate the commotion. Ransom, Shitty and Lardo (who was suspended piggyback style on Shitty), all gained looks of confusion. Shitty, naturally, was the first to speak, his expression shocked for only a split second. “Dude, welcome.” He said, a grin spreading across his face. Turning to Dex, he raised an eyebrow, grin still lighting up his face. “Care to introduce us?” 

Dex coughed. “Shit uh yeah, guys, this is Derek,” he said, turning around briefly to glance at him. Derek smiled gently at him, green eyes sparkling. “He’s my boyfriend,” his words now felt more confident. He was sick of hiding this part of his life from his friends, but it needed to be brought up at the right time. Derek squeezed his hand and his heart soared. He pointed out each of his friends in turn. “Babe, this is Ransom, Shitty, Lardo, and Holster.” Holster, finally breaking out of his trance and closing his mouth, smiled. 

“Hey bro.”  
“Nice to meet you all.” Derek said warmly. 

… 

After everyone had loaded up their plates with food and gathered around in the living room, the gift exchange began. Derek was introduced to the rest of the team and gifts were passed around as people interrogated the two of them. 

“How long have Ya’ll been together?” Bitty piped up first, followed almost immediately by Chowder’s: “Where did you guys meet?” and Jack’s “Do you play any sports?” 

Derek, an arm slung around Dex’s shoulder, laughed loudly. Dex took it upon himself to answer the first two questions, turning to the askers as he spoke. “A few months. We met back when I still worked at The Bean.” Chowder and Bitty nodded, satisfied for now. He knew they would have more questions later. Chowder was his best friend, and Bitty was the only other openly gay player on the team. Even though he knew he didn’t really owe them an explanation, he still felt guilty that he’d hidden Derek for this long. 

Derek looked to Jack, and Dex looked at Derek as he spoke. “I don’t play any sports at the moment though. I do really love hockey though,” he said, “I even thought about trying out for the team, but I twisted my ankle the week of tryouts, so I couldn’t skate,” his voice sounded a little sad as he admitted this. He’d spoken to Dex about it before, at the time complaining that maybe he could have met Dex months ago. Maybe they could have been together before Dex had even started working at The Bean.

“But you’ll try out next year, right?” Ransom piped up, looking excited. Derek nodded and Dex felt so relieved. Relieved that the team like him and he liked the team enough to want to try out still. He smiled at the whoops and 'swawesomes from his circle of friends. 

Lardo, who had made her way onto Shitty’s lap now, declared that Derek was in need of a hockey nickname now, if he wanted to be a part of the team. Met with more cheers, she asked for Derek’s last name. “Nurse.” He replied. “In high school the team called me Reck,” he shrugged. “I didn’t really like it though.” 

“Nurse huh?” Bitty spoke up. “How about, Nursey then?” 

“Nursey,” Derek said, sounding pleased. “I dig it. It’s chill.” Dex felt like exploding inside. This was real. Derek- Nursey, he corrected himself, was going to be integrated into this group just fine. He liked the team, the team clearly accepted and adored them. Dex didn’t know how he’d gotten so lucky, but Samwell had been a good choice, he decided. This was going to be a good year.

**Author's Note:**

> Ps, also you should extra thank my beta chatosaantana, who fueled my fire when I had resigned myself to just sticking a [redacted] in place of the second smut scene. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed! Don't forget to come yell about check please! with me on my sideblog @winterscrew or yell about literally anything else with me on my main, @scientologymajor :)


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